The DirectXchange was really designed with us in mind. There’s not many opportunities to throw an X in the middle of a name, but we’ve had that going on for quite some time now. Admittedly we never used the capital X, but that’s really just a design thing.

The theme of Marketing to the Minds of Catalog and eTail Shoppers is exactly where we fit into the blending of your catalog with your eCommerce experience. Finding the right balance is critical as there are shoppers that are very familiar with the catalog. Usage analytics will tell you that some of them truly enjoy browsing through the online catalog and ordering what they see presented on the page.

There are still several things that the catalog does particularly well. Kohler puts it very simply in their new bathroom catalog, Kohler ECO Bathrooms.

Painting a picture for the user of what the product can potentially look like can inspire them to make the purchase. Moving quickly through the pages, the user has a wide selection of image scenes presented in a way that marketing and graphics still to better than anyone else.

Catalogs also help solidify your brand. The print catalog delivered in the mail may not have the same impact of the Sears Christmas catalogs from days gone by. However whenMacKenzie Childs incorporates their catalog into the overall brand mission, the online version of that catalog becomes an instantly recognizable asset that users are willing to shop.

Lastly the catalog is an essential reminder that you are still there and offers a compelling reason to purchase from your store. Catalogs and flyers can be used as a weekly, monthly, or quarterly reminder that the user should go back to your store be it online or brick and mortar. Spurring the user to an action is one of the more powerful reasons to get the catalog into their hands in both print and online.

The appealing part of the DirectXchange is that it’s an opportunity to share your experience with others, while learning new ideas about what is working for colleagues in your industry. Additionally the networking events that allow you to connect with both contemporaries and suppliers are critical to building long term relationships that are mutually beneficial. We’re excited to meet(and maybe share a drink?) with our business partners in attendance as well as meet new movers and shakers in the retail and catalog marketing space.